C28 – Strong Willpower
Aura is something cultivated over time.
Such an atmosphere is cultivated through nurture.
The white-haired gentleman was impeccably dressed in a suit, exuding a steady presence that hinted at a complex identity.
The woman with glasses was strikingly beautiful with an icy demeanor, radiating an ineffable sense of pride.
So much so that Zhao Yuegu could easily detect the old man’s reverence for the young woman.
As for Sun Ying...
Well, there was no need to elaborate.
She was simply an ordinary girl.
No match for the likes of him.
It was Sun’s father who broke the silence.
“You must be Lin, the young friend. I’m Sun Ying’s father.”
“Hello, Uncle.”
“This is Director Xia Guo, dispatched by our superiors to investigate the exorbitantly priced watermelons. We’d like to inspect your watermelon field to understand the situation better.”
Zhao Yuegu, now aware of their intentions, acknowledged Xia Guo with a nod.
“Hello.”
“Mmm.”
Despite her aloofness, Xia Guo shook hands with Zhao Yuegu. Her grip was cool but gentle, her fingers marked with calluses from long hours spent writing.
“Since you’re heading to the village, I’d be better off leading the way.”
“That would be great, thank you.”
Sun’s father accepted the offer without a second thought.
“I can’t just come out here and return empty-handed. It’s not easy for me to get away, and I need to haul some things back.” Zhao Yuegu knew that a trip out would take at least three hours, and returning empty-handed would be wasteful.
Sun’s father turned to Xia Guo, unable to decide on his own.
“That’s fine.”
Xia Guo eventually gave her approval.
A smile spread across Sun’s father’s face as he responded.
“If you need help, I can arrange for someone to assist with the transport.”
“No need to go to such lengths. Too many vehicles could slow us down, and those unfamiliar with the terrain might easily run into trouble in the mountains.”
Zhao Yuegu politely declined, not wanting to delay their journey.
He then exchanged a glance with Sun Ying, who immediately caught on. She opened the car door, slid into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and pulled onto the road—a testament to the discipline of a true professional driver.
Everything seemed second nature to him.
“I’ll hop in first,” Zhao Yuegu said, gesturing toward the vehicle before climbing in.
Sun’s father and Xia Guo followed in another car.
During the drive, Sun Ying filled Zhao Yuegu in on the details, clarifying the situation.
It turned out he was being investigated by someone tasked with stabilizing market prices!
His exorbitantly priced watermelons had raised suspicions of market disruption, prompting the inquiry.
Zhao Yuegu didn’t resist; he responded with considerable respect.
Thanks to such regulators, the common folk could enjoy high-quality goods at fair prices, and merchants were deterred from arbitrarily hiking prices.
And Zhao Yuegu? Just a simple mountain village farmer with nothing to hide.
Xia Guo, trailing behind, caught sight of the off-road vehicle’s emblem and couldn’t hide her surprise.
She recognized it as a Lamborghini.
“He’s driving such a fine car on those roads!”
“What kind of person is he?”
Sun Ying heard the snoring too and couldn’t help but cover her face.
“My dad probably didn’t sleep well last night.”
“That’s good.”
Zhao Yuegu was unfazed.
To be able to sleep in these conditions was a testament to the old man’s resilience.
But after driving for another ten minutes or so, Xia Guo suddenly called out from the back.
“Stop the car!”
“Hmm?”
Confused but compliant, Zhao Yuegu brought the vehicle to a halt.
Xia Guo flung open the door and doubled over, retching.
Clearly, the rough ride had gotten the better of her, and she was now battling motion sickness.
Zhao Yuegu shook his head in disbelief.
Was it really that far?
Her constitution seemed excessively frail.
Sun Ying, when she first traversed this path, only succumbed to vomiting at the very end.
They had barely made any progress!
Noticing Xia Guo had nearly finished retching, Zhao Yuegu passed her a bottle of water.
“Thank you,” she murmured, rinsing her mouth and feeling somewhat better.
“Should we rest a bit before we go on?”
“No, let’s keep moving.”
Despite her ashen complexion, she climbed back into the vehicle with resolute eyes.
Zhao Yuegu couldn’t help but shake his head once more.
Despite being a woman, she was incredibly headstrong.
Glancing at the back seat, he chuckled to himself; Old Master Qin was sleeping so soundly he was nearly drooling!
The remainder of their trip was punctuated by frequent stops, primarily due to Xia Guo’s severe nausea.
She had endured much hardship from a young age, studying diligently, joining the Genius class, and earning her doctorate by 23. She was even headhunted while still in school, becoming the youngest director within a year—and all this without any help from her grandfather, a retired army general!
Her current mission was simply to bolster her resume and gain grassroots experience.
But...
Ugh!
The relentless jolting of the road was more than she could bear!
Eventually, she had nothing left to bring up but dry heaves.
Zhao Yuegu found it difficult to watch.
“Let’s take a short break,” he suggested compassionately.
“No, the work takes precedence,” Xia Guo declined, determined to press on.
Zhao Yuegu felt a twinge of helplessness.
All this suffering just to investigate a watermelon—was it truly justified?
Yet, despite Director Xu’s delicate health, her willpower was astonishingly steadfast.
Finally, after a grueling three hours that stretched into the afternoon, the four of them reached the parking area.
“Are we at Walden now?” Xia Guo managed to muster a faint smile.
God only knew the ordeal she had endured along the way.
But Zhao Yuegu just shook his head.
“There’s still a twenty-mile trek through the mountains ahead.”
“...”